Flaming Ass Owl is a spiced and smoked Imperial Porter and it’s an absolute treat.
Pouring a deep dark purple black with a little cappuccino head, the smell is damsons and liquorice in a leather bag, a warm, damp and rather sexy smell that you can dive into.
And then you take a swig and you find rich sweet molasses and rye bread, treacle tart and chocolate cake from the malts.
It’s a big fat chewy mouthful and it has red crunchy herbal leaf litter hops at its edges.
And just as you think what a lovely beer this is you get hit in the chest and stung on the tongue by a prickly chilli heat.
And what a lovely red fruity chilli heat it is too, like roasted red bell peppers stuffed with birds eye chillies, it’s hot and stingingly good fun.
The finish is a boozy sweet chilli warmth wrapped in tobacco leaves and a glowing fireside smoky fug.
What a lovely little beer this is.

Source: Cotteridge Wines